OK, it's an old joke, but it illustrates one of the major differences in philosophy I see among home brewers -- For some brewers, half of the fun is in building brewing gadgetry. I've seen a lot of brewers expend considerable effort, time, and skill in building some truly amazing brewing rigs, up to and including nearly automated systems driven by PLC controllers or homebuilt microprocessor systems. While I think it's a very cool and admirable hobby, I tend to try to go the other way, and strive to keep my brewing rig and brewday as simple as possible. The KISS principle applies, in my brewhouse.
Wait. What? Yes, I'm an engineer. I like to tinker. However, my experience shows me that the more complicated a system is, the more time you have to spend babysitting it. With all the pressures of family life, the time I can spend on my hobby is limited. I'd rather use the time to make the beer, instead of fixing the stuff to make the beer. It's a personal choice. I really like the automated style of brew systems, and I may even build one in the future, but for now, the KISS principle applies.
What's that mean? Well, I definitely believe that there are certain gadgets that are fast, cheap, and effective. I love those gadgets. They either make the brewday faster and easier, or provide enough of a quality improvement that they are worth the extra time, trouble, and storage space. I have no desire to write code as part of my brewing process. I'd rather write recipes.
As this nascent blog evolves, I'll add some information on my favorite KISS brewing gadgets. The driving mantra for my brew stuff right now is this: Fast, Cheap, Effective. I want all three from any gadget I throw at my beer.
So, here's my first KISS-centric brewing gadget. It has to do with aerating cool wort. Most brewers know the importance of oxygenation to improve yeast reproduction and make tasty beer. Lots of people shake their carboys to aerate. others inject a stream of pure oxygen through a diffusion stone. I like this gadget:
Once my wort is cool, I whip it up with a sanitized wire whisk until it's frothy on top. The kettle you see in the photograph is a holdover from my extract brewing days. I don't use it anymore, but the whip still has a place in my brewhouse. It's fast, cheap, and effective - The perfect KISS-centric brewing gadget.
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